How to Repair the LCD Bulb on a Compaq Laptop

Your Compaq laptop's LCD bulb, or backlight lamp, is a small light bulb built into your LCD screen. It lights up your screen so you can view graphics and video on the screen. Just like any type of light, your backlight lamp will burn out after extended periods of frequent use. Repairing the light bulb means dismantling your LCD screen, removing the bad backlight lamp, and replacing it with a new one.

Things You'll Need

• Phillips-head screwdriver
• Small, flat-head screwdriver
• Soldering iron
• Solder

Instructions

1. Shut down your Compaq laptop. Disconnect the AC power adapter, and all external devices. Remove the battery pack from the bottom side of the laptop.

2. Open the display panel as far as you can. Use a small, flat-head screwdriver to remove the rubber screw covers from the display panel's front cover. Remove the Phillips-head screws securing the front cover to the display assembly. Separate the front cover from the display panel with your fingertips. Use the flat-head screwdriver, if necessary. Be careful to avoid scratching, or damaging the screen's surface. Removing the front cover should reveal the entire LCD screen.

3. Remove the Phillips-head screws from each side of the screen. Grasp the top edge of the screen, and tilt it forward. Disconnect all cables from the connectors on the back side of the screen. Take note of how and where they are connected. Remove any adhesive tape securing the cables in place.

4. Lift the LCD screen out of the display panel. Locate the inverter board on the screen. The inverter is a small, circuit board attached to the LCD screen. It is usually located along the bottom edge on the front, or back of the screen. Disconnect the cables from each end of the inverter. These cables connect directly to the backlight. Remove any tape or screws securing the inverter in place. Remove the inverter from the the screen.

5. Peel away any foil tape from the back side of the screen. Remove or loosen the Phillips-head screw located in one of the two bottom corners of the screen. This screw secures backlight inside the screen.

6. Pull the backlight out of its slot inside the screen. Remove the small, plastic covers on each end of the backlight bulb. Use a soldering iron to unsolder the wire connectors on each end of the bulb. Throw away the bad backlight.

7. Reverse this procedure to install the new backlight. Use a soldering iron and solder to reconnect the wire connectors to each end of the new backlight before installing the backlight, and reassembling the screen.

References

• Laptop Repair 101: Backlight Lamp Replacement
• CCFL Direct: LCD Tutorial